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0 pointsaravindet5y ago0 comments

I think most people can (and do) agree with these ideals stated in the abstract, but still do things that violate them in their jobs / real life because of practical considerations such as pursuing a profit.

Not unlike how most people understand the dangers of climate change, but continue to drive cars, fly, use air conditioning etc.

Or, stated another way, we are all hypocrites to some extent.

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TeMPOraL5y ago

Or, stated yet another way, we all suck at coordinating. It's a problem with our species. If something that requires self-sacrifice starts yielding value only after everyone (or majority) does it, it simply doesn't happen, not spontaneously.

The history of human civilization - of governments, religions and movements, of gangs and corporations and worker unions - can be seen as attempts to surmount our inability to coordinate at scale. Laws, shared beliefs and ideologies, shunning, taboos, money - they're all tools for creating and maintaining coordination in large groups.

A classic essay on that topic: https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/.

yosito5y ago

Or, stated another way, it's the tragedy of the commons.

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